Winding Dragons
by Keawn
Summary: One really crappy strike at a volleyball on just the right winds, and the fate of the Fire Nation, as well as the world itself would be drastically shifted off course.
1. Chapter 1

Author's Notes: Heyllo heyllo world! Im giving what I got to some fan fiction and hope you guys atleast enjoy reading it ^_^;.

Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar Last Airbender……sucks, don't it?

Winding Dragons

The day was fresh, with a sky clear of clouds, a sun bright and showering light down on the earth below was blotched out by the ominous, shading monolith that the island's volcano made on the beaches of Ember Island. The air was thick, and the moisture upon it made the heat even worse. While the only seeming comfort came from the lightest, neatest of breezes, and the rolling waves from the surrounding ocean that crashed soothingly upon the sands in a constant, ceaseless rhythm.

Ember Island was one of the only -cheerful- places in The Fire Nation. It was actually the only place beyond the industry, the plight of the lower class, and the rigorous training of soldiers that didn't reek of the evil that plagued the system. It was in fact, one of the only places left unfettered by the cruelty, the arrogance, and the wicked nature of the country's leaders. Perhaps that in itself was reason enough for Heisen to be here. That wouldn't change his dislike of the place though. It might have been a getaway, a place of peace, and relaxation for anyone else, but it was running away for this teenage soldier.

Heisen stood in the sand, distanced from the noise and the excitement taking place nearby. He was motionless with lean, and taut arms folded over his chest, and eyes averted toward his feet and the ground that surrounded them. His skin was lightly tanned, an effect of his extensive training in the sweltering heat that was beat down and delivered from the sun outside. His hair was a mass of light brown strands, scattered over his scalp in a shaggy mess that looked only tended when it was washed. He was not extensively dressed, and this was not simply because of the heat. As a fire bender, he was trained to endure. So, it would be safe to assume that the single, simple pair of black and red-trimmed shorts he wore were for more or less comfort reasons. With these on he had freedom of movement, and in scuffles that were reasonably common just about anywhere in the Fire Nation between hormonal teenagers, he wouldn't have any cumbersome gear present.

It was like this, with a gentle breeze coursing by, and the soothing shift and sway of the ocean's waves that Heisen managed to find his little slice of peace. Under that sound, the voices of the others on the beach became distant, and drowned out while their movements soon became irrelevant. Sure, he might not have liked it here, but damn if he couldn't find a way to take in a little solace, right?

He was wrong.

At least, that was the only reasonable answer to give when a volleyball got volleyed off course by what could possibly be the most hellish kick in the history of The Fire Nation, and said volleyball came rocketing toward Heisen to drill him right in the side of the head. The initial force was pretty fucking incredible. It sent him right off kilter, and as that shooting sphere pressed through on his cheek, turned his head about, forced the saliva to go spewing out his pried open mouth, time seemed to still. He was able to muster but one thought, one inner cry amidst this most ferocious of blows and that cry was an angry, vulgar cry.

And so, Heisen hit the sand, spun around in ninety degrees following impact and slowly but surely mustering his strength back up. His hands shifted out to the sides, and he dug them down into the ground to steadily push himself up high enough that his knees could take to the ground and gradually, he could take to his feet and draw in a long, heavy breath.

With that accomplished, the teen drew up his right hand and gave a brief stroke of his fingers over his cheek, over the point of impact. "That's gonna leave a mark…" He murmured, tracing his index finger down a stinging soreness along his cheek. His head felt like a hundred pounds about now, but struggling against it Heisen shifted over and scooped up the volleyball, which had so conveniently settled in the sand next to its victim.

He eased back up, settling the weight of his body on his right foot and looked over the ball. Amidst his observations, the teen's eyes dropped into a narrow, and his upper lip curled. He had made one simple rule during his time here, and though it was never spoken he had hoped the others around here would still adhere to it. That rule, was that he wouldn't mess with them, so long as they didn't mess with him. Intentional or not, this little mishap had sparked a great deal of agitation inside of him.

"A little help!"

Heisen's gaze shifted immediately, focusing in on the voice and more specifically the one who had unleashed it. What he saw was a girl, white bikini, big, bright eyes, a lengthy ponytail, and a big, broad face played on by a wide spread of her lips to form a grin full of perfect pearly whites. Like most of the kids here, he recognized her. But all the same, he didn't know her name and certainly didn't care to. Maybe he was harsh to judge by appearance, but he had come to understand people effectively, and easily in doing so over the years, he didn't see why it might be different here.

"Sure." He called back, lifting the ball up as if he were about to serve it in their direction. Before he could even shift into the proper stance, he turned his hand over, and his fingers squeezed. His digits pierced into the material easier then one might think, and in a matter of moments what was once spherical now lay sprawled out in the sand with holes in it following an exertion of air and a brief toss by the wielder.

Instantly, he found himself distanced from sour faces, and to that he could only volley back to them a scowl. "You wanted help, right? Well, my help is a bit of advice, go do something productive that doesn't manage its way into my face." He snapped, turning from his present position to stalk off the other way. He figured they might make snide comments, but as this was Ember Island, he was sure that might be the end of it-----

"What's your problem?"

Heisen blinked, driven out of his thoughts as a hand clasped on his shoulder and dared tug him off balance and around to face the assailant. Shaggy, dark hair, an agitated, sneer, red shorts, and a body toned and hardened in a fashion that was more or less on par with his own. This guy had endured his fair share of battles, and given his reaction he was a bit irrational. Apparently, Heisen wasn't the only one on the island who didn't care to be.

It dawned on him suddenly, as his eyes surveyed the boy with haste, as he strolled his attention over his eyes, just who the other person was. Immediately, his brows furrowed and his upper lip curled into a sneer. The traitor, the banished prince of the Fire Nation, Prince Zuko right here in front of him. As much as the name, as the title stirred in Heisen a will to beat the bastard senseless, the possible consequences would be too much for him, and the disgrace would be palpable.

"Well!" He snarled, teeth gritting together and baring like a wild dog as he stared down Heisen. His footing, the fact he would touch him, and the way he looked down at Heisen was arrogant, and incredibly frustrating. There was only so much more to be endured.

"I just got pelted in the face by a ball, minding my own damn business. You'll have to forgive me if I found that reason to be annoyed."

"You could have just tossed it back!"

"And you could go dig a hole and stuff your head in the sand. I don't know about you, but I don't just duck away and ignore a problem Im faced with. That ball presented a problem, I dealt with it."

That, had apparently struck a nerve as Prince Zuko's hand was balled up, reared back and ready to fly. There were shouts the instant he made the move. One from the girl in white, covering her eyes. One from a girl with buns in her long black hair telling him to stop. The next, more of a laugh from a girl with a topknot, and the rest coming from various beach goers looking forward to a fight. The way they acted, and flocked….Heisen assumed that meant they didn't realize it was the prince…that alone, was reason enough for him to stand his ground.

His initial strike was in rage, and though a fire bender focused on the feeling to build their fire, it was not the means of controlling, and it wasn't wise to present so much aggression in the beginning of a conflict. Reason? You apply too much force into an attack like that, when your opponent has plenty of energy, and plenty of focus left to put against you, you set yourself up for something nasty. You also reveal a major weakness, that you're easily set off, and your emotion can easily be set to trip you up. That was careless, but certainly not a tactic Heisen would ever set beyond the banished prince's grasp.

Heisen's head jerked over to the side, letting the fist whiz by his cheek. Immediately, his feet shifted, striking up a stance, and though his hands also moved, they did not go for a blow. His opposition still had a hand to use, and regardless of his carelessness, he would likely set it forward to block in the miss of his strike. Their arms would likely meet and Heisen would have given his opponent a few moments more to recover. In a -true- fight, a moment, a few split seconds was all that was needed for a breath, and all that was needed for an attack to go off. So, he needed to strike where it with what, and where it was least likely for his opponent to guard.

His feet pushed him forward, and his chin dipped in toward his neck for a moment as Heisen drove his skull directly into the prince's face, cracking him directly in the nose. It might not have been artistic, it might not have been elegant, but the attack was damn effective. He had taken Zuko off guard, drawn first blood, and had unnerved him as the prince went staggering back.

Reacting to his opponent's movement, Heisen's feet moved forward again, slamming him into a set position with one quick stride toward Zuko. His right hand let loose, a quick jab of his right palm beneath the ribs, and a smooth cut to the gut with his left fist. He made contact with both, the strike to the ribs producing a sudden, stinging and lingering pain while the hit to the gut hammered into muscle and bruised the tissue.

Zuko wasn't able to recover just yet, and so Heisen didn't stop. He had struck his opponent off guard, he had taken advantage, and now it was time for him to drop his foe. He stepped, dug his heel into the sand, and kicked out with his other foot to loop Zuko's heel, pull it out from under him and take out his foundation. Without his stance set, and with his body already off balance, the foot gave just the extra nudge enough to drop Zuko right down onto his back.

Following this, Heisen didn't dare move over him. The teenager's feet immediately shuffled, and he slid his way back a few feet to break down into a combat stance. In that moment, Zuko's legs pulled up, spun and utilized the momentum to release a swirl of fire, and incidentally pull his body back to his feet. That release of flames, was precisely why Heisen moved back. To have gone overtop a fire bender like that? Stupid move, and it got a lot of the enemy killed when they let their emotions, the heat of battle overtake them in a fight.

It didn't look like the rage he had built up was going to change any time soon now either. That alone forced a smile to creep up Heisen's features. Maybe he was letting it get to his head, but he had no doubt he could take this guy.

There was extra movement then, a flash of white, and a flash of red leaving the growing crowd and before Heisen knew it he felt a sudden, stinging impact in his side. His eyes widened, and the unexpected force alone forced a peculiar noise not unlike a hack, and a growl in one. On the downside, his footing was shifted, his weight tossed back, and an immediate counter attack impossible. On the Brightside, he could now see his attacker. Clad in red, smooth skin, a toned, appealing shape, and hair pulled up. That was hardly the thing he noticed immediately though, and for all the allure this girl had with those things, they were hardly important when compared to what he was caught on….her eyes.

That strike to his side, as intense as it was had been a static shock in comparison to the full on lightning bolt that coursed through him following her gaze. He could see so much in them, that he found himself a mixture of things he could hardly understand immediately. But, as her next strike shot in for his stomach and to that he felt as if his insides had ruptured….and with one sudden, rippling shift and the wavering of his torso there was a roaring through his throat and a release of this morning's meal sprayed out to the side. It might have served him in the fight, hell, it could have set her way off guard, but….those eyes. He couldn't bring himself to do something that disgusting for his own protection…he couldn't find himself worthy enough in her presence to even try it.

Seeing as how he had just vomited, she stepped back, her left brow lifting lightly…as if questioning. She must have found his present condition to be a weakness, a submission if even it was unwilling. She was dead wrong though, and about to find that out. Heisen had no intention of giving in, of quitting like that.

Crouched, with hands on his thighs, Heisen spit out the remnants of fluid, and chunks and lifted his gaze toward her. She was like a statue. She made no movement, had her palms fitted neatly over her waist, and an air of confidence swarming her. It would be assumed then, that by her careless stance, her piercing gaze, and that warped little smirk of hers, she had no intention of losing.

He was going to make damn sure she knew that her intentions wouldn't account for shit. He bent his limbs, and with a kick off the ground pushed himself up and forward, swinging his elbows backward, to pull his weight in with one knee directed toward her chest. He was going to open it up now, and stir from her sucker punch to an actual fight.

Her left hand swung from her side, easily batting his knee away, and alternating her footing, she shot the other hand in to get him in the side of the face, missing by inches when Heisen's other knee buckled and he dipped down, straining his leg's muscle to keep him forward and thrust in toward her with both reared back arms let loose for her stomach.

Her smile never wavering, she turned and let both his limbs slide around her, and an uplifted arm shot her hand downward to smash into the top of his skull. He would have found himself face-first in sand, eating it down, but by chance he had just set his other foot down and with the aid of both, he had a strong enough base to keep himself above the sand.

That as an advantage, he dug his toes into the sand, and with a quick, heavy step he pushed into her, managing to knock her off balance, and open her up to an attack with his left hand, swinging an uppercut toward the arm still conveniently set above his head. Heisen smashed his knuckles into the underside of her bicep, turning her momentum around and turning the tables once he had her off balance. Her eyes were widened at that, surprised even and as he attempted to throw his elbow down toward her he felt a swelling pride….as if there was no chance of failure.

He was wrong.

Heisen saw an uncanny flexibility, and acrobatics in this girl now, and as unexpected as this was, he could hardly react in time before her foot came crashing into his jaw and everything he had worked up was lost. His footing, his advantage, his pride and that triumphant feeling….all gone and worse yet, it wasn't over. As he staggered, she twisted around in the air and brought her heel swinging in toward his face.

Taking the second blow, this time to his cheek, Heisen found himself level with the sand once more. He groaned, pushing himself now as he grinded his face in the ground upon his slow, feeble attempt to get on all fours. He was rocked silly, and wasn't about to immediately get back up. Whoever this girl was, she was pretty damn impressive.


	2. Chapter 2

Author's Note: Chapter 2! More dialogue, and less action! I sense an author fleshing out his character. ^_^;.

Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar Last Airbender…..still sucks.

Winding Dragons

"You pack one hell of a punch…" Heisen mumbled, slowly picking himself up off the ground and shifting himself into a crouch. He couldn't rise just yet, his head was all over the place, and he needed a hand on the ground to make up for the weakness in his legs…or, perhaps just how heavy his head felt right now. Gradually, he composed himself enough to look up at her, unsure of the action himself. For some reason, he felt so…beneath her.

"Well, I'd relay the compliment and all, but you didn't give me anything too impressive to judge." She moved her weight back on one leg, arms folding neatly over her chest. The look in her eyes remained, as though it hadn't changed at all in the fight, and a confident, relaxed smirk was in place all the while below it.

As if getting outmatched so obviously hadn't left him feeling insignificant enough, that look about her, and her words as well were just as effective in doing so. His gaze averted downward, he heaved a sigh. As if that exhale relieved him of all that weight Heisen picked himself up from his crouch and rose to his feet. He let himself focus, his head clear and looked toward the girl again. That was when he had another sudden revelation. This wasn't just some Fire Nation girl, or some random person that had pretty much obliterated him in hand to hand.

"What are you doing here?" Heisen asked, his expression shaping into something quite bewildered. He couldn't think of much else to say as the crowd had dispersed, and he realized that he was in front of the Fire Nation's princess herself! Temporarily dumbstruck, the teenager had been absent to what he should have been expected to do….and when the signal finally shot through his body from his head he dropped to his knees and bowed his head down before her, dipping his head just about as low as he possibly could.

Azula's nose wrinkled, her face scrunching into something unpleasant as she looked down on him. Her level of bewilderment matched the sort he had shown off not long ago and in a matter of seconds she was looking toward the others with a hopeless look about her. "That didn't last as long as I had hoped…" She mused, giving off a sigh.

"What? Why is he on his knees?" Zuko asked, the -moody- girl having long since managed to tame him. It might have helped ease his mood even to watch Azula batter the hell out of his attacker anyway.

"Are you really that dense Zu-Zu?" She answered his question with one of her own, the tone to her voice mocking, but no less amused. She took pleasure in it, and didn't work very hard-or at all to make a secret of it, because even as an outsider Heisen had caught as much. Azula shifted, turning her attention back in on the boy in front of her. "You there….ease out of your groveling and prove your cognitive prowess is a little more than an insect and explain to my dearest brother what is going on." She ordered, her arms finding their way into a fold beneath her bust.

Heisen nodded, shifting his weight back and rising neatly up to his feet. He inclined his head toward Zuko, and with his own lips twisting into a small smirk he spoke. "Your cover is blown." He tossed out there easily, stifling what would have been a chuckle for the sake of not looking too much like a twit in front of the princess.

"What?" Zuko's eyes flashed a bit wider, as if he had actually been expecting it to last. Heisen wasn't too sure -how- he, or any of them could expect it to! But, given the careless behavior given off from the rest of those around, he might just be the only other visitor on the island who wasn't a complete idiot.

"She's the princess of my country, and you're the infamous---"He stilled, turning his gaze toward Azula. He was gauging her reaction. If he offended Zuko, she would either take amusement through it, or consider him a dog stepping out of his place. Considering the subtle part of her lips, and the tug on the corners to shape a smile, he had a feeling she wouldn't take near as much offense as she would humor. "Traitor Prince, with his face once plastered over wanted posters from the western coast of The Fire Nation all the way to the furthest stretch of mountains in the Earth Kingdom. I'd have to be some shut-in, spoiled brat not to realize who I wa-"

"Hey."

Heisen blinked, his attention turning and his eyebrow lofting. He had just been interrupted, and a pair of boys stood ahead, their attention set on the giddy girl. They were two of the most popular teenagers on the island, Chan and Ruon-Jian. Incidentally, to Hiesen, they were two of the biggest idiots in the world. He hadn't even been around for a couple days before Chan presented him with a talk about the -Pecking Order-. It was apparently a way of intimidating him, and hopefully inspiring him to take back seat to their antics, insults, and insolence because -he couldn't do anything about it-. On any other day, he probably would have showed them how wrong they were, but he didn't have the energy or the patience to try. He had given a shrug and carried on to his beach house.

This time, it just seemed the two of them found something they liked in the group that had just arrived. Chan was working an invite in on Smiles to one of his all-too common parties. In turn, Ruon-Jian seemed interested in the dark, brooding girl.

Heisen's reaction was simple enough, he gave a roll of his eyes, stuffed his hands into his pockets and looked over the group a moment. Smiles was….well, smiling and bubbly nodding. Broody was plain-faced and half-listening, while Zuko was fuming and glaring the other boys down. Given the focus of his gaze, Heisen found it safe to assume he had a thing for, or even with the dull girl. He wasn't doing so well controlling himself, and it ultimately gave reason for the soldier to believe he wasn't exactly the sort of person meant to take the throne. Maybe he still deserved his banishment. The last, was actually still looking at him.

The teenager blinked, as if to adjust his gaze. He was taken aback some, not really expecting to hold Azula's attention. While the others prattled, and Zuko started whining, Heisen mustered some words for the princess. "Not interested?" He asked, easing his weight back on his right foot. "Chan's probably the most popular person on the island, so there'll be plenty of people there."

"He can be as popular as he likes, he's still not the most interesting."

"Point taken. That's a slot filled by yourself."

"Oh? Do indulge me, and tell what makes you say that…" She said, her voice lowering some as she took a single step toward Heisen. Her gaze was deadly, predatory even. In most ways, it was as though she were staring down a piece of meat…deciding whether to roast it, or simply let it go for not reaching her standards.

"Well, more often then not you probably hear your title tossed in as more then enough reason. But, I would say the features that mark you as ideal for it, are far more enticing. Alluring eyes of gold, so intense they rend the very flesh apart to sear the spirit. Perfectly tended strands of black, set aloft too neat, too precise to be done for anyone lesser. And I must take into account how you dropped me, while you've not a scar on your flawless form…This in itself is reason for me to think you are unmatched in combat" He gestured toward her, considering her present attire and incidentally that by it he could see enough of her to make that judgment. "Indulged?" He finished, the faintest of smirks touching his features.

To that, the princess's eyes were positively alit, and her brows aloft as though she took amusement in what she heard. That seemed, disappointing to Heisen. Could the princess of The Fire Nation, really have gone without hearing flattery like that? If that was the case, how could you explain it?

Then again, it wouldn't take much thought, as Heisen himself ought have been able to guess. She had an aura, a presence about her that was very intense. Her eyes, which he called alluring were alluring in the way a moth found a flame. There were people who let fear of what would come from approaching keep them away. And then there were those akin to he, who found themselves fluttering right in regardless of the end result.

"Is-----Are they flirting?"

Heisen was pressed out of his thoughts, glancing sidelong toward Smiley, and Broody. They had finished the discussion of a party with Chan and Ruon-Jian, then the inevitable complaints and demands from the prince, who was very much displeased over the ordeal. So, they had been sinking into the conversation…watching and listening quietly…erm..quietly up until five seconds ago when Smiley opened her big mouth.

"Im not sure." Broody murmured back, elbowing Smiley with a glare to shut her up, having just drawn eyes over on them.

Azula's attention shifted toward them as well now, and with her hands finding their way onto her sides she gave a disapproving look. The two she hadn't minded thus far had suddenly become burdensome. "Ty Lee, Mai…go with Zuko and…I don't know, get ready for that party."

"Hu? You're not comi-" Ty Lee was cut off before she could really ask the question by a dismissive wave from the princess. Though words were not given, the intentions were clear, and submissively the girl turned with Mai and Zuko who were already meandering off, and followed to play third wheel elsewhere.

That left Heisen alone with her now, and in quite the predicament. He wasn't sure if he should say it was a pleasant one, or an incredibly awkward one. He wasn't lower class, and he certainly wasn't completely failing in social situations. He had his mouth, he had his head and he could weave sentences with the latter to shoot out the former. But, he could hardly tell where to set his footing in this situation.

"You've some skill with that tongue of yours I see, and you're a step ahead of the others on this island to know your betters so well. What is your name?" She asked, her expression easing back into its former chilled, and calculating one. This was to be expected, she couldn't hold up being amused by what he said forever, that would give too much of her away.

"Heisen, Heisen Onryou." His torso dropped then, easing forward into a bow before he shifted back up into a standing position.

"You are relation to General Kohryu?" She asked, her limbs finally easing and letting her hands fall out to her sides.

"He is my grandfather, and the reason I am here. For whatever reason, he seemed to think I could use a break."

"A break?" She asked, as if the concept was humorous and so she held in a laugh.

Heisen knew why she said it like that. To her, he was in the position of every other teenager within the upper class. That meant where she actually faced troubles, he would have been at home in the capital doing nothing. Atleast, that would be her assumption, and he made sure to prove it false. "I have spent the past three years in the war. The first year I was under the service of my father on his ship, patrolling the coast. The second year, following his death, I was stationed on land and became more involved, faced more opponents, and found myself struggling to survive. The third year, I did more or less the same, but after the fall of Ba-Sing-Se, my grandfather had me summoned home for promotions, and set me…unfortunately, as his advisor….a glorified aid."

"Unfortunately?" She inquired, apparently her interest struck by the simple fact he did not seem pleased with the idea. To play advisor to a general was a very…prestigious position. It was more or less the general's general, and usually brought on an extensive promotion, as well as title. What wasn't there to enjoy for him?

"I loved being in the battle, at war. There might be a ton of people in our country that would love just having a position of power, but it means nothing to me, unless its earned. I spent three years in the battle, I bled a dozen wounds, and I saw the horrors of war. But, three years is plenty less then others, a dozen wounds never pushed me to the brink of death, and I came to look at the horrors of war with indifference. There were more wounds for me to gain, there were more years to spend in conflict for me, and there was a lot left to learn. To be honest, I feel like I was given a shortcut."

The princess chuckled and turned lightly on her heel to begin walking. She didn't say anything, but she made a beckoning wave for him to follow. Apparently, she wasn't too displeased with his response. As Heisen wasn't about to deny the princess his presence, nor will himself to, he took a step along, following after. He was quickly forgetting that one side of his face was bruising over, and his gut was emptied out a few feet away by the girl he decided to accompany.

The two moved along the beach while the midday sun still set in the sky was steadily becoming embraced by a mass of dark clouds. The sun had only recently moved beyond the volcano, and now it looked as if it would be robbed of its time to shine all over again by a rolling in storm. Without a care though, they carried on.

"So, you don't feel like you've enough to do under your grandfather?"

"He sent me here, didn't he?"

Azula smirked, taking that in as a reasonable enough answer. She understood actually, the insult it was to be sent over here for her father to have a private meeting with his most trusted of generals. It was a little more then a war meeting, that much was obvious, or else she would have been able to stick around.

"What if…." The princess started, lifting one of her hands to her chin as she humored the idea. Giving a light nod, mostly to herself before she continued. "I decided to bring you on as part of my own elite team?"

Heisen blinked, his eyes turning toward her now curiously. He needed a moment to let that sink in before he really gave an answer though. "A part of your team, really?" He shook his head then, shaking off the sort of awe-struck daze he had just entered. "Im not sure I would be worth--"

"Its not a matter of your opinion Heisen." She slowly drew her hand down from her chin then, the winds picking up. "But" She started, turning some to face him. "If you feel the need to prove you would be a worthy addition, lets take a moment to remove our kid gloves, and I will test you at your peak with your bending. Don't consider me the princess, and don't consider rank in the least."

"That might be a bit of a chore." He answered, an inquisitive glance set on Azula.

"Well, it shouldn't be, because if you slip up…if you don't fight to my standards and hold strong, you -will- die." Azula's body swept into motion suddenly, and without warning she was drawn back, and throwing a jab that sent a burst of blue flame rocketing toward him.

Author's Note: I know, Im an evil bastard and left you with a cliffhanger! Mwahahahahahaha! *giggle, hiccup, hack, snort, wheeze, guffaw!*


	3. Chapter 3

Author's Note: Fight scene! Get ready for full scale fight! Shu-sha!

Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar The Last Airbender…do we really need to go over this again?

Winding Dragons

Heisen's awareness shot up a dozen notches the moment Azula's body shot into a stance, and in those quickly fading moments for his reaction he tried to read her movements. He could have dodged, sure enough, but this wasn't a situation where he wanted to be fleeing to dodge. He was supposed to fight her, and hold his own. He wasn't sure what to expect, aside from an overwhelming force, but he had to take her head on.

That thought passing he saw her hand shift, and given its level, he took a step forward toward her, letting her fist reach the full of its extension before he made a move. Heisen's body spun with his first step, and he made a quick sweep kick beneath her shot of blue fire. His sweep releases a crescent of flame, the focus on speed, and lacking in it the usual intensity of such an attack to accomplish this.

His sweep looked as if it would nearly catch her, but Azula simply pressed off her toes, hopping over, and crashing down into it from above as it shoot beneath her. Landing on the flame, she drove it into the sand and by throwing her arms up she pulled up what remained of his own and by pulling them inward she concentrated them and cast them into azure.

Azula thrust forward, the charged flames spraying out in a cone of fire that Heisen barely got his body and arms up in time to jab both hands forward with palms open and fingers spread. His forward push released a ripple of flame, managing to shape a -wall- of force against it, that split her assault in twos, shooting out at his sides. Before it passed, Heisen turned his hands down, and ripped his fingers into the blue flame that was sweltering even to the most experienced of fire benders. He made a few choppy steps, and split through the flame like a knife.

Clear of it, Heisen found himself facing another rocketing ball of flame. Instinct alone saved him as he dropped to his knees, bending backward while the flame rushed inches from his face, and nicked his chin, setting the hint of a burn over it. It was around this time, as his feet shot him back up and his momentum carried him forward still toward his opponent that Heisen realized she wasn't just motivating him when she said he would die if he failed.

Azula wasn't about to sit back and let him close the distance unfortunately, and when Heisen got in about five feet she moved forward, met him but having the advantage of speed, and dexterity her knuckles found their way into his gut while his own swing for her head missed. She moved against his momentum, letting his body follow his swing while she slid gracefully so his back faced her.

Her hands were quick, one in the kidney, the other under the collar bone, and the next would be a mule-kick for his spine. The attack would be fatal, not simply for the intensity of the blow, but the fact her heel would explode with flames, and overtake the boy entirely. But, Heisen wasn't about to go out so early. He had dropped his weight the moment her second strike came into his back, knowing she had to be preparing something nasty to finish it off, and when he crashed into the sand there was no words to describe what he felt as the roaring flames shot off just above him.

He couldn't dwell on that rush, on that rapidly increasing emotion though. Heisen needed to act, and once the blue cleared, he smacked his right hand hard into the ground, turning his body over with that force and making a quick kick toward her chest. His kick threw up a jet stream of flame, attempting to overtake her more or less the same as she had just tried to him.

Azula arched her body back, letting his own attack rush by her while she neatly back flipped herself away, once it cleared. Settling back on her feet, she now stood about ten feet away, taking in a breath and sliding her way into a stance. Following his own attack, Heisen rolled himself up to his feet, and rivaled her stance with one of his own, hands aloft and ready while his feet were set and prepared for movement.

They held ground, locking eyes and recovering slowly as they drew in breaths. This point might have been assumed to be the end of the road, but it was far from it. The last few encounters might have been intense, but there was still plenty of energy to burn in both of them.

Heisen had hardly noticed it amidst the fight, but the clouds which were nearing had finally overtaken the sun…and everything started getting a little darker. The soothing sound of the rolling waves at sea became roars of crashing masses of water into the sand. The heat was lightened, or weakened one could say as rain started up. As the storm was brewing, a bolt of lightning pierced through the air, screaming all the way on its path toward the earth. The bolt smashed into the ground soon, and the streak of light was gone just as fast as it had come.

The bolt, and the thunder that rang out through the air was a natural signal for the battle to commence again. With the rain dampening their bending, and the blotched out sun doing a little to invigorate them, they were going to have to use their bending sparingly. So, rather then begin with anything show but ineffective they pushed off from the wetting sand and closed the distance to one another.

Heisen had learned something from their previous encounters, and that was that he sure as hell did not want to attack first unless he was sure he could connect. Considering she seemed full of energy, he wasn't about to assume he could make an easy connection. He had to try something a little less linear.

So, when they were a few feet from meeting, Heisen's body was already buckling at the knees, and he was crashing into the ground beneath her while her foot shot up where his head had initially been. He had managed to catch her off guard here, and he was now on the ground next to her only support, her one foot still in the sand.

Heisen's inside limb shot out at the elbow, cracking in just below Azula's calf and knocking all her weight out from beneath her. With her footing taken, she crashed into the sand next to him and Heisen's arms worked to push him up off the ground and up to his feet. She was not dazed, and she wouldn't lay in wait for him though, so Azula made her way to her own feet in order to press out her bending.

The princess gave off a few quick jabs, and from both if her quick, sudden strikes she releases shots of blue toward Heisen. He reacted as he could, setting his footing, and moving his hands quickly to press a single, heavier wave out toward the two bursts coming for him. His wave had diminished them, and went for the princess, but it had not completely destroyed them. Her attack sailed through his flames, and lesser flames smacked into him. One singed his thigh, shooting by it, and the other whizzed over his left shoulder.

Neither were incapacitating injuries though, and he was fast at work to follow up his previous attack, mustering up a concentrated mass of fire in his hands. That was when her own means of defense became evident, and a powerful shot of blue fire punctured a hole through his wave like an arrow, rocketing off for Heisen.

With widened eyes, the teenager ducked below it, feeling the hairs stand up on the back of his neck as it passed. Taking in a breath, he pushed off into a jump once it went by, and rearing his flame back in with one hand, Heisen sped toward the ground, landing in a crouch and smashing the ball he had shaped into the sand. On impact the ball exploded outward around him, like a saucer.

Azula, having composed following her larger attack saw Heisen as he set into the ground, and proceeded with a tactic she had used near the beginning, on a much larger scale. She leaped, moving over the flame for a short while before coming crashing down into it. Her land pushed Heisen's flames out from around her and with a quick weave of her hands she summoned the spread out flames around her, a quick wave and pump of her limbs drawing them up and by the end of her movement she had amassed a wall behind her. Heisen's body set into motion, and Azula made a spin, pulling in her momentum, and with a quick throw of her right hand out toward the distanced Heisen, she sent the wall behind her into a screaming stream of blue flame right at him.

This was where he had to reveal a little more of himself. Heisen had neglected to show it yet because he needed at least one surprise, but if he wanted to survive he was going to have to. He let out a loud yell, loosened his muscles, and by the time Azula's flames swept over the area he was out of the way, distance between them shorter and throwing jabs of his own, flames sent rocketing off toward her.

Azula was caught off guard for the time being, and despite her best efforts the concussive force of his attack had set her off balance. She staggered back, and to take advantage of it, Heisen drew his foot high up in the air, a large slice of flame zipping off across the sand toward her.

The princess used the backward momentum from the initial attack to ease her out of the way of the next flame, and leaping forward she landed neatly and weaved her hands in sharp, jerky movements. Heisen meanwhile had his own attack prepared, steam shooting off from open pores in his shin, and driving his heel down into the sand. The force was heavy, and the flame produced was intense, but not quite so simple as the last attack. It was not a vertical lash of fire, it was an eruption from the impact of his heel on the sand.

The eruption spread forward, spraying sand everywhere as it rent the earth and charged her. They weren't too far, so Heisen had thought for sure that move had done it, he thought for sure that the day was his.

Again, he was wrong.

He watched the mass of fire charging for Azula split open, and spread off in every direction as its center point was blown straight through and a streak of light came roaring through the air, drilling Heisen in the left arm! He was pulverized by a single bolt, a move he hadn't anticipated, let alone knew about and his body was cast through the air straight off his feet.

When Heisen hit the ground he rolled, and writhed through the sand. His back arched, his fingers bent and latched into the ground to dig deep into the sand as the lingering sting of electricity coursed through his body. His lips parted, and he dug the back of his head into the ground as he howled. He couldn't hold it in, he couldn't resist. He had been scorched by licking flames more intense then his own, he had been struck and buried under stone, and he had limbs locked under ice for a time. But never before had he been hit by lightning!

Heisen convulsed for a little while longer, shaking and jerking wildly until it had eased on him just enough that his muscles could relax and his body, now no longer tense, could flatten out in the sand. He experienced a few involuntary twitches, and when his howling finally came to an end he was left with but a few quiet gasps he gradually recovered his senses to a point, he could finally control his limbs and digits. There were a few sudden -shocks- that pushed through his system, but aside from the incredible soreness that overtook him, he could atleast move with enough effort.

That was when his body went rigid, at the appearance of a fist right over his face, positioned just ahead and between both of his eyes. He sucked in a breath, his gaze widening as he focused and beyond the fist, at the end of a toned, trim arm was Princess Azula's face, with lips set into a twisted little smirk and eyes twinkling with amusement. "Savor that breath….its proof that I didn't just kill you Heisen." She giggled, a peculiar…maniacal giggle that slowly erupted into the stormy air as a laugh.

A sane man might have been disturbed, a -normal- man would have been mustering what little strength he had to get the hell away. Heisen though? Heisen's lips forced a smile and he managed to recover when his entire body sunk into a state of relaxation. He could have fallen asleep right now his head clear and the pain he was feeling distant with what swelling pride he had gain of that peculiar action from the princess. He knew he could just pass out in the sand…

As usual, he was wrong!

Heisen noticed Azula's hand draw back, and he hadn't seen it coming when she fed him the back of her hand. He was alert once more, body straight and eyes focused as he set them back in on her. He was a bit surprised, most likely because she had snapped him right out of what could have become a peaceful sleep.

"The test might be over, but the day is young Heisen. I'd hope you had a little more endurance then that." She erected for him a challenging look and smoothly picked herself up off the sand. "So, join me in the land of the living and get to your feet." It obviously wasn't a kind, easy request….she was demanding it. In no condition, or with any will to deny her, he pushed off the ground and moved up to his feet steadily.

"As you wish Azula." He answered, bending over to brush sand off his shorts and body.

"Of course." Was her response, a simple, easy one at that. Amusement became her, taking up her glance, and her features as she lifted her right hand, her smooth fingertips a prelude to the subtle press and glide of her velvety palm along the taut, but worn muscle of his chest.

Ensnared, perhaps more then he had been, Heisen's gaze followed after her as se stepped around and right by him. He watched her go, left in a sort of daze and not one he could easily explain. The hold she had was enthralling, and the way she walked was with a dignity and grace he would struggle to muster after a spar like that. All over again, he could only think to himself…how very impressive she was.

Author's Note: I went an entire chapter over a fight scene….it might be messy, but damn did I try!


End file.
